Traditional banana pudding but layered in a cake – super fluffy sponge cake layered with vanilla pastry cream, banana slices, vanilla wafer cookies and fluffy whipped cream.
This banana pudding cake is EVERYTHING. The fluffy hot milk sponge cake pairs PERFECTLY with the vanilla pastry cream, fresh banana slices, vanilla wafer cookies and fresh whipped cream.
I don’t often remake cakes or even think about cakes I’ve made because I’m always onto making something new but this banana pudding cake has me DREAMING. It’s so light and fluffy, thanks to the hot milk sponge cake and the whipped cream. She’s such a dream, I turned her into the Ultimate Banana Pudding Cupcakes!
Banana pudding is an American dessert, more popular in the south, that consists of layering vanilla custard, banana slices, vanilla wafers or ladyfingers and whipped cream. It’s commonly made with store-bought vanilla pudding, sweetened condensed milk, ‘Nilla wafers and Cool whip.
I made every component of this cake from scratch besides the wafer cookies. I felt like there was no replicating those and they’re very nostalgic in this recipe. I also tested a million and one versions of pastry cream and chantilly cream so this cake was the perfect opportunity to use those up too.
How To Make Banana Pudding Cake, Step-by-Step Photos
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Start making the pastry cream by whisking together the egg, sugar, cornstarch and salt until they’re smooth.
Heat the milk and then use it to temper the eggs. Then return the whole mixture to the pot.
Cook the pastry cream for just a couple of minutes, until it starts to thicken, whisking aggressively and then pour it into a bowl with the butter and vanilla.
It’ll split at first but as you whisk, the butter and pastry cream will come back together and be smooth and silky.
Cover the top of the pastry cream with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill.
egg yolks whisked with sugar and cornstarch, still clumpyegg yolks whisked with sugar and cornstarch – smootheggs tempered with milk in saucepanPastry cream cookedpastry cream splits when you add butter but comes back together as you whisk itbutter mixed into the cooked pastry cream
Hot Milk Sponge
Make the cake by heating the milk and butter until it’s hot but not simmering. Set aside.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar until it’s pale and fluffy.
Sift the dry ingredients over the eggs and stream the hot milk in with the mixer on low speed. Mix just until the last streak of flour is combined.
Distribute the batter evenly among three pans, about 15-16 oz in each, and bake for about 20 minutes.
beat the eggs and sugar finished cake batterbatter in cake pan
Whipped Cream
Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla, once the cakes and the pastry cream have cooled completely.
cream whipped to stiff peaks
Assemble
Slice the bananas and toss them with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning in the cake.
Place the first layer of cake onto a flat surface. Top with a generous layer of pastry cream, followed by a single layer of banana slices and a single layer of vanilla wafers. Cover with a layer of whipped cream.
Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat with the next layers. Swirl the rest of the whipped cream on the top layer and top with more bananas and vanilla wafers. Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour to set.
bananas sliced
How to store a banana pudding cake
Cover the cake with foil, a cake dome or a cake carrier and refrigerate for up to a week.
If it’s any longer, feel free to freeze the cake. Slice it and place the slices in an airtight container and freeze for a few weeks. The bananas might get mushy when thawing though so freezing is not ideal.
Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below.
If you make this banana pudding cake, I’d love it if you left a star rating for me. If it’s less than five stars, please leave a comment with the rating so I know why! 🙂
Traditional banana pudding but layered in a cake – super fluffy sponge cake layered with vanilla pastry cream, banana slices, vanilla wafer cookies and fluffy whipped cream.
1largeegg (or 3 large egg yolks), room temperature
45gramsgranulated sugar, scant cup
30gramscornstarch
tinypinchfine sea salt
240mLwhole milk, 2% also works
42gramssalted butter, room temperature
2tspvanilla bean paste, or extract
Sponge Cake
240gramsall-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2tspbaking powder
1/2tspfine sea salt
240mLmilk
113gramssalted butter, gets melted with milk
4largeeggs, room temperature
350gramsgranulated sugar
2tspvanilla extract
Whipped Cream/Chantilly Cream
360mLheavy whipping cream , cold
45gramspowdered sugar , spooned and leveled
2tspvanilla bean paste, or extract
tiny pinch fine sea salt
Toppings/Fillings
2 ripe bananas, sliced (ripe enough to eat but not over-ripe)
15mLlemon juice
4-6ozvanilla wafers
Method
Vanilla Pastry Cream
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg (or egg yolks), sugar, cornstarch and salt aggressively for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture becomes smooth and runny, with no more chunks.
1 large egg (or 3 large egg yolks) room temperature, 45 grams granulated sugar scant cup, 30 grams cornstarch, tiny pinch fine sea salt
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat, just until it comes to a simmer.
240 mL whole milk 2% also works
Temper the eggs by streaming half of the milk into the egg mixture while continuing to whisk.
Dump the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, while whisking continuously.
Within 1-3 minutes, the mixture should start to thicken, continue whisking, making sure to scrape the edges and center of the pan.
Once it's starting to stick to the pan, whisk aggressively for another 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl with the butter and vanilla.
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract, 42 grams salted butter room temperature
Allow the heat from the pastry cream to melt the butter for a second and then gently whisk it. It may separate at first but it'll come back together as you whisk.
The pastry cream should be smooth and silky now, if you have any lumps, feel free to push it though a sieve.
Sponge Cake
Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection and grease and line three 8 inch cake pans with baking spray and parchment paper.
Place the flour, baking powder and sea salt in a medium bowl and whisk them together until they’re evenly distributed.
240 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Place the milk with the butter in a small pot and heat it gently over medium-low heat, for 2-3 minutes, just until the butter is fully melted and the mixture is hot but not yet simmering. Remove from the heat and set aside.
240 mL milk, 113 grams salted butter gets melted with milk
Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, fit with the whisk attachment, and begin beating at medium-high speed, until the eggs begin to froth , just a few seconds. Reduce the speed and stream in the sugar.
4 large eggs room temperature, 350 grams granulated sugar
Add the vanilla extract and turn the mixer up to full speed, allowing it to beat for a few minutes, until the sugar and egg mixture is fluffy and pale.
2 tsp vanilla extract
Sift the dry ingredients over the egg mixture, and now turn the mixer up to low speed while streaming in the milk and butter. Scrape the edge of the bowl and give it one more mix, just until the last streak of flour is combined.
Divide the batter into the prepared pans, about 14ish ounces each, and bake for 20 minutes, until they're golden brown and spring back when you gently press on the tops.
Whipped Cream
Sift the powdered sugar and salt into the bowl of the stand mixer, fit with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer).
45 grams powdered sugar spooned and leveled, tiny pinch fine sea salt
Pour the heavy whipping cream on top, along with the vanilla and turn the mixer up to medium speed for a few seconds until it starts to thicken (if you go full speed it will splash everywhere).
360 mL heavy whipping cream cold, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Turn the mixer up to medium-high and whip just until it holds stiff peaks.
If you over-mix and it’s no longer smooth, add a little more cream and fold it in until it’s smooth again.
Assemble
Once the cakes and the pastry cream have cooled, slice the bananas and toss them into a bowl with the lemon juice (you won't taste the lemon juice but it'll prevent them from turning brown).
2 ripe bananas sliced (ripe enough to eat but not over-ripe), 15 mL lemon juice
Place the first layer of cake onto a flat surface and spread a good layer of pastry cream on top.
Then a single layer of banana slices on top of the pastry cream and followed by a layer of vanilla wafer cookies (I used minis so I left them whole).
4-6 oz vanilla wafers
Top with a generous layer of whipped cream and then another layer of cake. Repeat and then top with the last layer of cake.
Spread the rest of the whipped cream on top and decorate with some bananas and wafer cookies.
Refrigerate the cake for at least a few hours to set and slice easier. Serve cold or slightly chilled. Store refrigerated.
Notes
Pastry cream can be made with either 3 large egg yolks or 1 large egg – egg yolks will just give a richer flavor and darker color, I used 1 large egg in this recipe so I didn’t have to repurpose my whites but it works both ways!
Was told “It’s rated 10/10, second best thing you’ve ever made me.” From a baking standpoint it was pretty easy, definitely a good cake to make with little ones (if you have them). Making again, I’ll probably add additional bananas and pudding mixture since the pudding was a little thin (or smaller cake sizes). Could also use more bananas since it wasn’t banana enough for me, but that’s just personal preference. Good easy recipe
Hi Patty! I haven’t tried it but I would probably just cut the recipe in half. It might be a little bit shorter but that’ll probably make it easier to stack 🙂
It was sooo good! I added in extra bananas and wafers!
Definitely the right call ? lol
Was told “It’s rated 10/10, second best thing you’ve ever made me.” From a baking standpoint it was pretty easy, definitely a good cake to make with little ones (if you have them). Making again, I’ll probably add additional bananas and pudding mixture since the pudding was a little thin (or smaller cake sizes). Could also use more bananas since it wasn’t banana enough for me, but that’s just personal preference. Good easy recipe
Hi David thank you so much! I agree I like extra pudding and bananas too lol it just gets hard to stack when there’s more
I would like to make this but as a 6in cake, what adjustments would you recommend? Thank you! I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Patty! I haven’t tried it but I would probably just cut the recipe in half. It might be a little bit shorter but that’ll probably make it easier to stack 🙂
Hey
I was wondering if I could use paillete feuilletine in place of the wafers? I believe it will stay crisp in the layers…
I bought a bag of it ages ago and have not found a use for it yet…what do you think?
Looks delicious can’t wait to make it!
Cheers
D
Hey! I don’t see why not, it should work fine 🙂